ACTION RESEARCH
How Does Differentiated Instruction Enhance the Inclusiveness of Math Classrooms? —an Approach to Address Linguistic and Neuro-Diversity By Carol Lai American International School Vietnam Considering the vision of inclusive education at AISVN, the disciplinary nature of mathematics education, the IB philosophy and the diverse student population, I attempt to use this project to document my classroom findings, propose a model for creating an inclusive mathematics classroom and attract more fellow teachers for further discussions and implementation.
Introduction Inclusiveness in education has recently been a buzzword in various educational settings— school policy making, teacher recruitment, academic research, to name a few. In my ongoing literature review, however, it shows that inclusive education—in order to accommodate students with special education needs— has been in practice since the 1970s in multiple countries (Aldakhil, 2019; Alves, 2019; Civitillo, de Moor, & Vervloed, 2016; Redford, 2017; Saloviita & Consegnati, 2019). Nevertheless, many normal classroom teachers still feel under-prepared and anticipate further continuing education. In essence, inclusive education highlights accommodating diverse learners through various approaches. When I look into inclusive teaching in math classroom—while digital technology, hands-on activities, and reallife connections are usually prioritized, some researchers update educators with supporting strategies for ELLs and individuals with dyscalculia/ dyslexia. The variety of approaches may makes one feel disoriented initially, but it also suggests hopes in empowering both students and teachers. In this action research project, I aim at approaching these two questions: (1) How does an inclusive mathematics classroom look like in an MYP program? (2) What challenges might a mathematics teacher with an inclusive approach encounter, while the study body is linguistically, culturally and cognitively diverse? Motivation I was motivated to complete the research as a response to the inclusion policy at my current school, American International School Vietnam (AISVN) and to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) statement from the IBO. The IBO embrace learner variability so that our learners are not excluded on the grounds of any of their characteristics, and so that our stakeholders can develop and thrive in a culture of equal opportunities for learning, personal growth, and developing the ability to make positive change (Diversity). This statement prompts IB educators to investigate how to establish an inclusive and safe classroom for each student, regardless of their learning needs and cultural/linguistic backgrounds. Based on the uniqueness of each learner, I argue that differentiated instruction lies in the core of 21st-century teaching. Existing strategies about differentiated instruction mainly focus on teaching methods, learning materials and assessment variety. I would add conceptual learning to the toolkit. In mathematics education, there has been a debate between advocates for procedural math learning and those for conceptual math learning for years. Focusing more on procedural math learning might enable teachers to cover the content on time. However, students’ diverse learning needs and thinking styles are dismissed among the standard steps towards the “right answer.” Conceptual math learning, on the contrary, empowers students to independently pave the path to the solution.
72 EARCOS Triannual Journal
Methodology I mainly used qualitative research methods in this project: first, I went through literature review on inclusive education, differentiated instruction, conceptual learning in mathematics and data-informed teaching.The literature review provided the theoretical foundation in my classroom practices and analyzing students’ learning outcomes. Secondly, I investigated into students’ available learning data—past academic records, individual learning plans (ILPs), teachers’ anecdotes, etc.. Thirdly, I had bi-weekly meetings with EAL specialists in my school, comping up with classroom activities to build up students’ literacy and mathematical thinking skills. Finally, I collected and analyzed students learning outcomes through their sample works and reflections. Findings and Discussions Data-informed teaching is not unfamiliar to many educators, as we attempt to utilize assessments, portfolios, anecdotal notes—among many others— to draw well-rounded portraits of our students and support their daily learning. This played a key role in guiding my Grade 6 students to transition from elementary to secondary school, especially in the midst of challenges caused by strict lockdowns and months of distance learning. During my research, I found that reading anecdotal notes from other teachers helped me to understand students’ learning habits and later build a safe classroom. With the support from EAL specialists, I learned to interpret students’ English skill levels and form differentiated instruction/communication. Upon reading several students’ individual learning plans (ILPs—see Figure 1), I was impressed by the continuous effort in documenting students’ learning and/or behavioral issues and coping strategies. However, I also felt slightly overwhelmed by the student diversity, wondering how to deliver mathematical content and develop thinking skills throughout the year. Figure 1: This is a typical ILP in my school. Students meet with the Student Support Team quarterly to identify areas of concern and strengths, as well as interventions. I was provided a folder of ILPs, with 2-3 years of documentation, before the school year started. Understanding the challenges, I established explicit differentiation early in the year. My typical lesson included a short lesson video, a variety of practices and task options, and sufficient time for small-group discussions and/ or individual coaching. While the lesson video focused on concepts/skills of the day and drew upon age-appropriate visuals, various tasks and practices existed to empower student choices. While discussions existed to highlight social emotional support from peers, coaching targeted at strategies for